A MAID IN MAYFAIR.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 237, 6 October 1928, Page 4 (Supplement)

A MAID IN MAYFAIR.

MODERN NEEDLEWORK. • ; MEN DRESSMAKERS, ' ... ; '(From Our Zioodon Lady Correspondent.) • A certain debutante set another new :fashion recently. .Invitations to tea -were'sent to some of the girls pre.sented and' to those who have already made their'curtseys. When the guests arrived they found quite a' different atmosphere from that usually pervading an afternoon tea party. A big table was spread in the . good old-fashioned way/with* all the things used to make a tea party worth while, and guests .sat round the table. Cigarettes were taboo—-so. were cocktails. Everyone enjoyed it immensely..' .' '

A- Black Ballroom. ".'.'-. j '. Society is experimenting with cold colours. It has tried everything under the sun in the way of flame and orange and Lido blue , in its rooms, and has decided that, this- season the setting must be in complete contrast to anything in the way of a colourful scheme. One hostess I "know entertains her guests in a white' dining room. The walls are white, so is the The .- curtains are cream. Pale ivory leather has been attached with white-headed nails to the oak chairs, and the long dining table has a painted . ivory-top. "White candles in glass sticks, and white , tulips in crystal vases were .the table decorations .the, day I was there. One daring hostess has even experimented with an all-black ballroom." But the dress clothes of the male dancers coh- . sorted ill with such a background, and the nest dance is to be a fancy dress affair! . ' \ ■ '. . The Modern Sampler. Every new season has its own par- - tieular piece of needlework. People did tapestry pictures a few months ago, and carried their .Victorian handbags everywhere with them. Now they are -working samplers. So far as I can see, the stitches are.not the tiny,, neat ones of great-grandmamma's day.- White fingers must not be roughened by pin pricks in 1928, ■ so K the canvas is coarse, the needles are the blunt-pointed variety, and it is pointed'out to you.-by the worker.,that bold effects are so much more effective than neat ones. Mottoes and prayers are not put on In bold colours-and stitches, little'scenes'illustrating life in London . in "pur own time's are worked. :

■' . . ; . '-]••■ Mrs. •Amery. • . V •; . Amery. at..lunch, looking . very charming in'a red hat, and as, full v'. of 'enthusiasm as ever for Empire 'pro- .-■{, ..■ 'duce.-. She.always insists that she-can-■v'. not make ay"speech. ' Why, I-cannot .. imagine. * Since' she came back from, her ■world , tour with-her husband I have ;.■•■■',-' heard her speak, at least half'a dozen ..times, and she simply carries her , ,:, - audience away by her eniuhusiasmr She ■was told by a man "who was a;luncheon .' '.. guest that she ought, to. go-into the! .:'■■:'-; . House of .Commons, but .'she is'far too -"'. ■ devoted to her home and-husband-and :

'"'•;.■ -• , chiidrento do that. She has twq'charm- ' ' - ;• ing sons, her house runs on oiled wheels, : -, . yand ■in every room one gets the al- •-. Mnosphere of:home. ;-.- . '... ■■.- i -■",■■ ."■■■..• ■'•"■."/"■-• Maflame.Menjou. ......, V■ \ :■; '■■_ Many women are interested in'Adplphe •■•' . jj? Menjou's bride/' her;inthe-floral : _ •'■■>! bower" ,that /was made..for her at a '& " : West" End hotel, and found her very ;- : quiet and unaffected. '.The ex T '■'",■•■ ■ ./.citement in Paris", and the. crossing '■> .- ~ seemed to have been rather too much _ / -for; her,: and she was hoping to be able ■A. ''.': ■. ? e . s * * n London. As the telephone bell c . .S '. ,-was ringing all the time I was there, and ;■!■" • \ : a/page hoy-'knocked at the door with . r ■.':.■■ .letters, 'telegrams arid "parcels at least :.•■■,_ .every minute pr s 'two, : I did not see ■ v... much; hope: of rest for'her. She told . .:■ r .-■■' inethat she had a little English' cottage ..j'.. -;, in. California, and she and the film star ■■ ! :'.y'"' '.with' an .atmosphere the reverse' of ' : • ;■ '■ domestic , are going to settle down there ■■''';. .»i -and- Uvea .very Jsimple kind «f life. : •V. ■':■ -,'•-.'•■'rD-. Fashion, Autocrats-. '■'... ■. : ';.*•• '. •■iWhafc'lots-;of .smart frocks for; the ■; ' : ~ ..g'easbn's, functions ; are, beiflg. made'■ by ■■ • -.'■ .-. menv- dressmakers!. They) are-, mostly - ' ; • ...very'youn'ginen; too, with a dress'sense ;■ . ' .</ well developed, .and.;very definite, ideas ■ ..on,: colour and line. '/As' a rule.'they ■■■.'•' moist charming'of salons,.which' .:' •'. somehow are ,:entirely..different _. from '. ■ those, whicnjwomeri dressmakers possess. They are autocratic to .a degree-; with. ~ -■•'■'■ .'their clients;.young. , and?oldj and do not -' : . always 'trouble tp=pefsuade them "gently. v-..r ' tov their, way;.of '■:, thinking, as a;woman .; '"would'do. They lay the-law. down about v ■• ,: . 'style and; colour; produce'materials : 'and . : ''jirguments in, support of their cbnten- . ' ' -~ /'tio'ns, ; and then' -wait silently,. knowing • that''little opposition will be "forthcoming. ; ' * Menii ; Cards;;/.- ,; The menu card is,.no. longer the pro- :■:■■'■ saic.affair it used to be. ; Not only are the menus. '. by 'attractive little:.pictures, but there are .... ■ some very intriguing' menu-holders. ;,: ' Quite a-lot of attention, is given'to the sportsman and' sportswoman. ; For the -- . hunt ball or . other occasions; there 1 are ■ menu .and place cards 'decorated '.- with •, ■ iotes and hounds, partridges/pheasants i;.-■ . and snipe. A crafty-looking fox made > 'of wood holds the cards instead of the ; ' Visual ./plain bracket, or, alternatively, - . wooden hounds!can be obtained, and'.a complete Hunting set made up. "There are.,menu cards also for the bachelor . party- a golden-haired little lady, who . c - ar " eß botl » the. menu and guest cards :V • ;:■.. arms. m!v little' bit of . gatize. But -it doesn't .matter, for she is only, made of cardboard, i ..-.-..- .:■■;■■' " A Woman Diplomat. ' :; ( . ; "London , may yet see-a'woman, at the .:., •: head of one of - her foreign embassies ' ' ' Ther «A i3 '^ aS e J erybod y k "owsV already ~ one "Ambassadress" in the diplomatic : . i- world, and. it is rumoured that Paris ;.•'., may soon be thrilled \yith: her presence .: .. .•• at its Russian Embassy.- This is Madame *-.' . Alexander Kollentay,. daughter ■■-,of" a. ;:, [{.;, ■ Russian ■ general, whb'.may be said'to ..-' .' have started her' diplomatic career bv ' . ,-• : being; appointed by Moscow to represent 'j r .' Soviet Russia in Nprway. She has-held . the. same high position ,in Mexico. ■■ . Attractive,'mueh-trayelled,' knd described H| • as : the mos^; interesting.and. best-dressed HI '; woman..in.North.Europe-,-.Madame. Kol- ■| Jentay would ■'probably^find Paris con- - genial. She hasfhnd; two husbands, the Hi .-first a military oflice'rofj high rank, and H| ...'; the second a Soviet sailor. London, she HH..'svert,' .is her favourite, city/ ..of 'any 'country; ".'. ; ' '' ' •*'''• '■ M ': ~- ■ H ■ ; ."""' ' :: : :"y:M: : :~' : \